


Four Times Ariadne Sees Cobb and Saito Argue and One Time They Make Up

by Zoi no miko (zoi_no_miko)



Series: Inception - Cobb/Saito [3]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-19
Updated: 2010-08-19
Packaged: 2017-10-11 03:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/108075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoi_no_miko/pseuds/Zoi%20no%20miko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cobb isn't too happy when Saito starts getting more involved with extractions. Ariadne can't figure out why...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Times Ariadne Sees Cobb and Saito Argue and One Time They Make Up

**Benefactor**

Saito's office was the picture of modern, every surface frosted glass or brushed steel. Even the piece of artwork that adorned one wall fit the decor - two large metal panels with designs etched and sandblasted into it of ukiyo-e style prints - one of a giant wave, the other a Japanese garden. Mount Fuji appeared in the background of both. Ariadne couldn't help but think that it suited him, and yet at the same time there was a certain hardness, a certain starkness to it that belied the gentle nature of the man that she'd come to know over the past few months.

She supposed it was inevitable that this would happen. Cobb had been teaching Saito's executives to defend against extraction, and it was impossible to keep them from talking. Someone, somewhere along the line, had told a friend over drinks or golf that Saito had the best extractor in the business working for him, and the information had seeped out until someone had contacted Saito to see if his pet extractor might be interested in a little extra work.

Eames and Arthur had flown in overnight, picking up Yusuf on the way. They sat with her now in Saito's office, sipping tea from the service on Saito's desk while Yusuf sleepily nibbled on an expensive looking pastry. Saito came in with Cobb, taking the seat behind his desk. Cobb sat next to her, looking more than a little unhappy."

"Gentlemen. Ariadne." Saito started, lacing his fingers together on the desk, "You all know what this is about, and I will assume that by your presence you are still set on pursuing your... previous course of employment. The reason why I brought you all here is for a possible job, but also for a bit of a business agreement between us all, as a team. Cobb's services for me here have put me in a unique position of being a visible contact for your group. A way to screen jobs and employers without any risk to you. A safer, more lucrative and more effective way to do business."

"So," Eames concluded, stretching his arms back behind his head. "You want to be the Charlie to our Angels now, Saito?"

The man quirked an eyebrow while Arthur groaned.

Ariadne considered this. "Eames must be the blonde one, because I'm definitely Lucy Liu."

"Well it just so turns out that I am a great admirer of the late Farah Fawcett. I guess that leaves Arthur to be the sex bait."

"Fuck off, Eames," Arthur glared at him, but Yusuf merely nodded.

"Fitting."

"I don't like it." Cobb broke through the teasing with a frown. "You start taking jobs for us and that means you're in with us. This isn't legal, Saito. If something goes wrong and we fail a job, that employer's gonna come back to you. You remember Cobol? You can't just run like we could. And that's not even touching on the law - "

Saito smiles softly, indulgently. "I am more than aware and capable of operating outside the confines of the law, Mr. Cobb. I did hire you for Inception, if you do recall. Beyond that... I am already in with you, am I not?"

Ariadne watched a flush slowly creep up Cobb's neck from under his shirt collar. "It doesn't mean you have to endanger yourself anymore just to help us earn our livelihood."

"And yet none of you would need to pursue this kind of work if all of you had taken me up on my offer of legitimate employment." Saito was still smiling, still focused on Cobb. "You did take me up on that, Mr. Cobb. You have no need to pursue these avenues. And yet you do. Perhaps both you and I miss the thrill of the hunt, yes?"

Cobb didn't reply to that, still glaring, and Saito leaned back in his chair. "Not all of you are in the position to run from an employer from a failed job, not anymore. So let me deal with this, act as a shield. Everything will be incredibly discrete, with no way of tracing anything and with suitable enough collateral obtained on the other party that any backstabbing on their part would be very unwise."

Ariadne was surprised when Arthur cleared his throat. "You have to admit, Cobb... it's a sound business strategy. Much safer than what we've been doing."

Saito nodded, still watching Cobb until the man finally turned to meet his gaze. "Cobb," he said softly, "Do not fault me for wishing to protect you."

"All right," Cobb replied finally, still frowning. "But if I hear word of you taking any unnecessary risks, Saito, endangering yourself or the business... that's it."

"Of course, Mr. Cobb," Saito replied, and pulled a sealed file from the bottom drawer of his filing cabinet, passing it across the table. "Now, shall we take a look at the proposals currently on the table?

~~~

  
**Teammate**

They were given a set of rooms in the basement of Saito's building, an area accessible only by fingerprint and voice recognition, though Eames and Arthur could steal in discreetly through an unmarked door in the next building over. Yusuf just set up a cot next to his chemistry lab.

When she arrived, sketchbook under her arm, Cobb was already there with Eames, going through paperwork, talking with him in a low voice. Arthur had a computer workstation set up with four monitors off to the side of the room, and he sat primly in a very comfortable looking leather desk chair, fingers flying over the keyboard as he compiled information.

Yusuf was getting a cup of coffee from a very impressive looking coffee machine, which Ariadne thought was a very good idea indeed. She set her things down and joined him.

"Ah, I see we have all made it. Good morning."

Cobb looked up sharply at the sound of Saito's voice, turning to where their benefactor stood in the doorway. "Good morning. We have everything under control here. The less you know about it, the better."

Saito gave a little nod. "But I'm coming with you for this job. I've come to help."

"You have not come to help," Cobb repeated simply, and Ariadne noticed that he'd gone very still and very pale. "We've already discussed this."

"We have," Saito replied calmly, not backing down. "And I'm here to help."

"You're not helping," Cobb returned, enough anger in his voice that it was almost shaking. It was strange, different than any cold, calm anger she'd seen Cobb display before. "You're not fully trained, you don't even have a proper fucking totem - "

"I have enough," Saito replied, still calm and serious, breaking Cobb's words into silence.

For a moment neither said anything, not looking away from each other, body language tense and guarded. and Ariadne couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of power play - their leader, their pro extractor pushing at the control of their benefactor. The idea of the two of them being at odds made her feel strangely sick inside.

Cobb finally stepped forward, jerking his head towards a door on the other side of the room. He turned towards it silently, and Saito followed him, shutting and locking the door behind him. Ariadne could hear the muffled sound of their voices, unintelligible, through the walls. Angry.

"I don't think Cobb will back down," Arthur said with a little frown, having turned away from the computer. "He runs a tight ship."

"He does," Eames agreed, sitting down in one of the chairs around the large planning table. "I wouldn't ever want to back down if I were him. Not easy to see someone you care about put themselves in danger." He turned to catch Arthur's gaze. "But you get used to it, in time. Learn to trust the other person's abilities. Trust them to have your back."

Arthur didn't reply, simply giving a slow nod and turning back to his computers. But there was something unsaid that passed between them, something that Ariadne couldn't quite figure out. Perhaps Arthur would tell her later. She sat down at the table with her coffee without saying anything, pulling out her sketchbook and starting to work.

When Cobb and Saito finally came out of the other room, the air between them as different as it could be. She realized that it had been suspiciously quiet in the room for some time, but as she glanced through she saw a number of comfortable looking lounge chairs sitting around a PASIV device. Perhaps they worked things out in a dream. Whatever the resolution was they both seemed content, and sat down at the table.

"Saito will be working with us," Cobb said, as if it was his decision. "He won't be a primary dreamer, but it never hurts to have someone else down there who knows the ropes. Eames, Arthur, I'm going to need your help later on testing his totem."

"Do we get overtime pay?" Eames asked, joking, and Saito chuckled.

"No, but perhaps a drink afterwards as thanks."

  
It wasn't until Ariadne was halfway back to the apartment Saito had rented for her stay over the summer that she realized she'd left her sketchbook back at the lab, and with it everything she'd been planning on working on that night. She sighed, asked the taxi driver to turn around, and went back inside to get it. When she slipped into the lab the door the lights were off in the main area, the only light left streaming out of the half-open door to the room with the lounges. She could just see Saito and Eames sleeping inside, along with a feet wearing pair of perfectly shined Italian leather shoes on a third lounge that undoubtedly belonged to Arthur. Cobb passed by the doorway, pacing slowly, waiting.

For a moment Ariadne stood, frozen, wondering if she should leave without notice or offer her help. Then Saito sat up, suddenly awake. "Dreaming," he proclaimed, glancing to Cobb. "And now I am awake?"

"Yes," Cobb replied, and she could just see his profile, smiling. "But I'm not convinced. You're going under again."

Saito nodded, leaning over to make a note on a book that sat beside his lounge chair, and laid back down. Dom adjusted the PASIV machine and put him under again.

Ariadne stayed in the shadows of the room, watching, listening. Barely five minutes had passed before Eames jerked awake. "Bloody hell!"

She saw Arthur's shoe move, heard his voice, angry. "You kissed him!"

"What else was I supposed to do? And since when did that give you reason to shoot me?"

Ariadne choked back a giggle at the thought of Eames kissing Saito, which was a rather pleasant mental image, even if what she imagined was likely nothing close to what had actually happened. Eames had probably worn that little blonde bombshell number of his again.

"Dreaming, now awake," Saito was saying, amusement evident in his voice. "That's twenty scenarios now, Dom. All passed, including the one three levels deep where Arthur made the first level an exact replica of this one. And including seeing through Mr. Eames's rather clever disguise. Does that satisfy your worries?"

It was strange, hearing anyone call Cobb by his first name, and unlike their argument earlier, Saito sounded like he was genuinely seeking Cobb's approval. She heard the other man sigh. "Yeah. I guess that will do for now. Thanks for your help, gents."

"Time for a drink?" Eames sounded chipper as he got up from the lounge, and Ariadne slipped back out of the room and through the security doors, making her way out of the building before she could be seen.

~~~

**Partner**

  
The second job the decided on was for the US government. It made Cobb jumpy and nervous, but they all had to admit that in this case at least it wasn't quite as illegal as many of the other things they've done. The extraction wasn't incredibly difficult, and their mark was even hand delivered, already unconscious to the little out of the way office building they'd settled on using.

The pay was impressive enough that Ariadne took Saito up on his offer of assistance with setting up a Swiss bank account.

The problem was that the first job ended up just being a kind of test for the next, and that, well... that was rather more dangerous. A matter of national security. An extraction requiring three levels due to the subject's complexity. And for that, sedation.

They went through every piece of information they could get about the mark, both officially and in-officially. She came into the office more than once to find Arthur asleep at the keyboard of his workstation, Eames slumped over the table, and had to wake them both and send them into the room with the lounge chairs to get slightly more comfortable sleep. Yusuf spent almost as much time at his own work, modifying the PASIV to distribute different types of sedatives as well as different doses and finally coming up with a combination of substances to use on himself that he claimed would be stable enough to let him control the first level of the dream while still allowing him to kill himself as an exit when needed, taking their timers down to zero when the job was done.

"Are you sure it will work?" Ariadne had asked anxiously, to which he'd just shrugged and smiled.

"Reasonably. Has to be a first time for everything, right?"

When they were all finally quite sure that the man hadn't been trained, that they weren't going to end up dead or crazy from limbo, they finally agreed to the job, and Cobb ordered everyone home for a night of restful, dreamless sleep before they moved.

Ariadne woke early the next morning, stopping for pastries on her way in, wanting to go over the scenarios one more time in her head. She wouldn't be the dreamer, and argumentatively it wasn't completely necessary for her to go under with them all, but she knew the levels better than any of them. If the dreamer was busy or distracted, if they got off course she could guide Cobb through the levels more effectively than even he could.

When she let herself through the security door, however, she heard familiar voices arguing inside, and frowned, staying quiet as she set down her things.

"Just stay home. We can do this without you." Cobb's voice came from the room with the lounge chairs. The door was almost completely closed; she couldn't see inside. But she could hear the strange desperation in his voice. "Please."

"I can't do that." Saito's voice was quiet and a little sad. "Dom, we agreed at the start of this. I am coming with you. I'm not letting you do this job alone." There was the familiarity again, and for a moment Ariadne wondered if he used Cobb's first name to try and exert authority. There was none of that in his voice, though.

"Please," Cobb asked again, somewhere between anger and despair. "Just do as I ask for once. Please."

"Then do not ask me to act against my nature," Saito replied softly. "You know why I am doing this."

"And I know you've only been doing this for months. If something goes wrong - "

"I have been dreaming with you for a lifetime," Saito corrected, and Cobb fell silent.

Ariadne sighed, and decided to make her presence known. She gave a light knock on the door and pushed it open, wondering why the two men looked suddenly so guilty to see her. "Hey, I thought I was the early one. Everything okay?"

"We are fine," Saito replied simply, but Cobb frowned.

"We're doing this one without Saito. I want someone on the top level watching us, watching the mark."

She glanced to the flash of hurt in Saito's face, then back to Cobb. "I don't think that's a good idea. We're guarding you through the final extraction while Eames plays distraction and readies the kick. As much as I can handle a pistol now it doesn't mean I can fight off an army of projections on my own if we encounter something unexpected." She reached out to touch Cobb's arm lightly. "Cobb, we've been working together since the Inception Job. Saito knows his way around dreams as well as I do. Maybe better. We're better to have him with us."

Cobb looked at her for a moment like she'd betrayed him, but then the emotion was pushed away. "Fine. We do this by the book, though."

"Of course," she replied, not bothering to mention that it was usually Cobb who broke the rules, not she.

Cobb pushed past her and strode out into the main room. Saito lingered behind for a moment, though, hand briefly brushing her shoulder. "Thank you."

Ariadne nodded. "You do have a totem now, don't you?"

"Of course," Saito replied with a little smile, and left.

~~~

**Protector**

  
The first level of the mission was a beach on a deserted island. Ariadne and Eames-the-redheaded-version-of-Pamela-An

derson walked by their mark in matching little white bikinis, laying out towels and stretching out on the sand in front of him while Cobb moved up quietly behind him and dropped a sedative into his drink. It took effect and they went down a level, leaving Yusuf behind happily sunbathing with an AK-47 at his side. Just in case.

The next level down she still played bait with the female Eames, this time resplendent in evening gowns and pearls. They laughed and talked at the bar at an officer's club, pressing a little too close, teasing. It wasn't hard to get their mark's attention and take him upstairs, though argumentatively Eames did most of the seduction. She could see Arthur in the corner of the bar, watching them with a little frown.

They all joined up once Eames had managed to slip the sedative into his own drink before feeding it to their mark, taking him out cold. He dropped the facade with a little sigh of relief, touching Arthur's shoulder lightly as he joined them. "Don't worry, darling, I'll put it on again for you later if you like. Private showing."

"Sleep well, Mr. Eames," was the point man's only reply before they went down again, leaving him behind.

Even on the third level, riding motorbikes through a bustling city, there was nothing overtly wrong. Nothing until she and Saito were standing outside a small restaurant, weapons concealed, waiting for Cobb to get the information in the safe inside. Eames was blocks away, the dreamer, setting the charges for the kick. Taking the attention of the projections. But there hadn't been anything go wrong enough to threaten the mission, not yet.

"You have it?" she heard Saito say behind her, and turned to see Cobb inside the restaurant, headed their way at an easy lope, manila envelope in hand.

Without warning, all hell broke loose. The ground lurched violently, knocking her off her feet and back against her motorcycle which toppled back into the street. The buildings around her shuddered and groaned, breaking apart, concrete and mortar raining down in showers of dust.

"Dom!" She couldn't see Saito in the dust, but she could hear the call, the heart-rending despair. Ariadne stumbled to her feet, coughing, trying to find her way through the dust.

"Saito!" She almost tripped over a fissure that had appeared in the street, trying to find him. "What's going on?" At the same time, she knew. Either Eames had been kicked out early and the dream was collapsing, or something was happening above. "Saito!"

"Here!"

She hopped around a piece of rubble that had fallen between between her and the door to the restaurant, unsteady on her feet as the ground rumbled, and came to a stop. "Oh my god."

They'd trained for this, to deal with their own deaths, to deal with the sight of their teammates dead in the dream. Shot, stabbed, drowned - it didn't make this any easier. The smoke grey motorcycle leathers she'd put Saito in were covered in blood, Cobb half crushed under rubble with a piece of rebar protruding through his chest. Saito had Cobb half cradled in his arms, supporting him as he drew painful, rattling breaths.

Ariadne raised a hand to her mouth, pulse racing with adrenaline. She didn't have to say it to make it real. Cobb wouldn't survive this.

Limbo. A third time. Even for someone like Cobb....

Saito's face was covered in dust, eyes red. He held out the manila envelope, leaving behind fingerprints in Cobb's blood. "Get this back to Eames, memorize it, get it back to the client. I'm going down with Cobb. Do not let Yusuf wake up before we get back to the top level."

"Saito - " Cobb had managed to catch hold of his arm, fingers clenched, white knuckled with pain. "Don't - "

Ariadne couldn't push away her terror. "Going with him? I - I've gone down there before, I should - "

"As have I." Saito pulled his pistol from the holster inside his jacket. "Trust me. Take the envelope, get back. I will handle this. It's why I am here."

She shook her head wildly. "No, no. I'll go back and get the machine from Eames, we can all go under and come back together - "

"There isn't time," he shot back, looking down at Cobb in anguish. "The dream is falling apart, something's happened. Go while you still can."

"Saito - "

"Don't - " Cobb managed to gasp again, his words broken by a wracking cough, blood bubbling from his lips. Saito looked more than a little shaken, and murmured something to him in what sounded like Japanese. Then he cocked the gun and turned back to her.

"You asked me if I had a totem," he said suddenly, so out of left field that Ariadne could only stare at him.

"What?"

"My totem," he repeated. "It's Cobb. I cannot leave without him. You go. I will bring him back, you have my word."

"All right," Ariadne whispered, and turned for her bike, swallowing down tears and hearing the gun go off behind her twice in succession.

~~~

**Lover**

Getting out of the dream was a mess - the second level crawling with angry projections - and when she woke up on the first she breathed a sigh of relief and pulled a t-shirt on over the bikini. She managed to gather something about Eames being pushed off the balcony of the officer's club on two while he fell down a flight of stairs on three, somehow creating an involuntary simultaneous kick. She'd made Eames' kick, though, woken on two in time to hear the music swell, to wake when the boardwalk on one collapsed and dropped them into the sea.

Cobb and Saito's bodies still slumbered under the canopy she'd taught Yusuf to create, their minds far away.

Then there was nothing to do but wait, re-creating the material Cobb had died recovering on the third level, wait for what felt like days until Saito finally stirred, then Cobb. Wait for Yusuf to shoot himself in the head and then slowly count the timer on the machine down to wake them.

When everyone was finally awake, Ariadne watched over Saito anxiously, watching his eyes scan the room slowly, focusing on the details. He paused at Ariadne and gave her a soft smile, then straightened, turning to Cobb. "Are you all right, Mr. Cobb?"

Cobb let out a long breath, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up. "Yes. I'm sorry to have worried everyone. You all did a good job." He stood, then, looking around before focusing on the door to the adjoining room and standing. "Arthur, I'll leave the mark in your capable hands. Please excuse me. Saito?"

Saito nodded and fell into step behind him, disappearing into the room.

Ariadne watched them go, watched the boys gather up the PASIV device, moving the mark back into the wheelchair they'd used to bring him from his own hotel room. When they left she crossed the room to the adjoining door. She felt like she was spying, easing the door open a crack, just enough that she could hear them. She tried to tell herself that it was worry for their well being, but really... she needed to know. To understand.

"Are we real?" She heard Saito ask softly, but there was no reply. Instead she heard a soft whir - the spinning of Cobb's top. It toppled.

"We're real," Cobb said, voice rough. "You shouldn't have stayed. If something had happened...."

"I couldn't come back without you," came the soft reply, though Cobb didn't seem reassured.

"My children - "

"Are more than provided for in my will in the event of my death or mental incapacitation."

"They need more than money!"

"Of course." Saito's voice was still soft. "They need their father. So I brought you back. How long would you have been down there by yourself? You would have forgotten me completely."

Cobb moved, and she caught sight of his reflection in the mirrored closet door. She pushed the door just a little wider, to see more clearly, and froze as Cobb slipped his arms up around Saito's neck, drawing him in for a trembling kiss. Saito's arms slipped around his waist, drawing him closer, giving a soft moan against the other man's mouth. When Cobb spoke again his voice was almost inaudibly soft. "I could never forget you."

As surprising as it was, it all made a strange sort of sense. Ariadne stepped back from the door, smiling, silently leaving them to their reunion.


End file.
